With the World Series in the rearview, the Mariners are shifting into offseason mode - and for several names on the 40-man roster, that means recovery time. Seattle got hammered by injuries this year, especially in the lineup and bullpen, and the damage was severe enough to leave Brendan Donovan and Matt Brash with lost seasons. Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor also played through injuries that led to surgeries in early October.
A big chunk of the attention now lands on the players either coming off procedures or finishing the year hurt, and the picture is mixed. Some are expected back for spring training.
Others will need more careful monitoring. And a few are still working through longer rehab paths.
The group recovering from surgery includes Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor, Colt Emerson, Luke Raley, Brock Rodden, Michael Toglia and Logan Evans.
Raleigh and Naylor both had operations at the University of Washington Medical Center on October 3. Raleigh underwent a left shoulder acromioclavicular debridement procedure, while Naylor had triangular fibrocartilage complex repair surgery in his right wrist.
The team said both should be fully recovered by spring training. That health situation may help explain why neither slugger topped a 100 OPS+, and why the pair combined for only 33 home runs.
Emerson’s situation has been a little more delicate. The 21-year-old shortstop had surgery in August to fix a displaced tendon in his left wrist, which shut him down for the season.
On September 23, GM Justin Hollander said Emerson was "doing well in his rehab" in Arizona. Hollander also said in August that he had "no concerns" about Emerson being ready for the 2020 season.
That does not necessarily mean he’ll be cleared for spring training, and MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer has already suggested he may need to be watched closely once camp opens.
Raley is on a more standard recovery track after surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his left forearm. Hollander said on September 23 that he was headed for "normal offseason rehab”. Raley had the procedure in mid-August because he did not want to lose any time in 2027, though his future with the Mariners beyond that remains to be seen.
Rodden’s rehab is still ongoing after a late-September IL stint for a left knee problem. He had surgery to remove scar tissue and also received a platelet rich plasma injection.
The original plan was for him to get back to baseball activities in eight to 10 weeks, which leaves him with several weeks still to go. He may also need close monitoring in spring training.
Toglia, who arrived in a waiver claim from the Cincinnati Reds in early October, had surgery in August to repair a torn labrum. His exact recovery timeline is still unclear, but Adam Jude of The Seattle Times wrote on October 2 that Toglia is expected to compete for a bench spot in spring training "if healthy."
Evans’ path is longer than most of the others. He tore the UCL in his pitching arm and had an "internal brace" procedure last January, with a recovery window of 12 months.
He could possibly be pitching by spring training, though the Mariners have not indicated that will happen. And while Evans was widely reported to have had Tommy John surgery in January, the source notes that an internal brace procedure is not the same thing.
Seattle’s late-season injury list also included Brendan Donovan, Emerson Hancock, Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash, Nick Davila, Brennen Davis and Cole Wilcox.
Donovan took the hardest hit, literally and figuratively. He was struck in the head by a pitch during indoor batting practice on August 22 and suffered a concussion.
Symptoms lingered into late September and kept him from returning, costing him 123 games. The Mariners still sounded optimistic on September 23, when Hollander said Donovan was expected to be "healthy and ready to do normal baseball activities" during the offseason.
Hancock’s issue came on August 28, when he hurt his adductor while fielding a grounder up the first base line. He missed the rest of the season, though Hollander did not completely shut the door on a limited return during the final week of the regular season. He should be fine for spring training.
Muñoz exited an appearance on September 20 and was placed on the IL five days later. Imaging showed “nothing serious, nothing structurally concerning,” according to Hollander, and he should be ready for next spring.
Brash’s season ended after his lat issue sent him to the IL for a second time. He made just 20 appearances.
He received a platelet rich plasma injection, and Hollander said on September 23 that he was expected to begin his normal offseason program “something like eight weeks after the season." Another MRI is likely, and the next update should come shortly before the CBA expires and MLB heads into a lockout on December 1.
Donovan, Hancock and Muñoz are all on the Mariners’ 40-man roster, and each is projected to have to win a 26-man roster spot in spring training. Still, none of their injuries is expected to make that battle any harder.
As for the rest of the late-season injury group, Davis was rehabbing in Arizona as of September 27, and Davila was set to do the same. Wilcox was "recovering well" as of September 23 and was hoping to get back on a mound by the end of the regular season.
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